Electric coin-operated switch



June 10,1930. w, H, RUTHER 1,162,392

ELECTRIC COIN OPERATED SWITCH Filed Spt. 10. 1928 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1m10, 1930. w. H. RUTHER 1.16 .892

- I ELECTRIC COIN OPERATED SWITCH Filed Sept; 10, 192B 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTO I BY mm 71/. H )Puifjzer Patented June 10, 1930* UNITE rATEsPATENT-OFFICE WALTER flpRUTHER, on ST. Louis, MISSOURI ,nLncrRIcooiN-oPERArEnswIron Application filed' september 10, 1928. Se'rialNo.305,051.

The invention relates to a switch for con- I trolling the supply ofcurrent to electrically operated machinery, said switch beingclosed bythe deposition of a coin of determinate value into a slot, and opened bythe electrically driven mechanism after the latter has made apredetermined number of revolutions.

The switch includes means for breaking the circuit quickly to preventinjurious sparking, also means whereby the'circuit is initial 1y closedthrough the motor when the coin is droppedinto theslot and a short timethere-- after permanentlyclosed until the machine to be driven has madethe given numberof revo- I 2 embodiment of the invention, it is to beunder v stood that in adapting themeans to meet specific needs andrequirements, the design maybe varied and changes in the minor de-"tails of construction may be resorted towith- 30. in the scope of theinvention as claimed, without departing from the spirit thereof.

For a full understanding of theiinvention and the merits thereof,reference is to-be had to the following description and the drawing'hereto attached, i n which:v t

Figure leis a perspective view vention; v

Figure 2 is aside view ofafcoinicontrolledi switch mechanism embodyingthe invention, thecover of the enclosing c'asebeing removed. 7 Figure 3is a'sectional, View on the line 3-3 of Figure 2lookingto=thelftasdesigmated y the arrows, g w

' Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line'4' 4 of Figure 2, looking incated by the arrows. 3 c a Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustratingthe circuit. 1 i

7 illustrating; an applicationof an embodiment of the inthe directionindi I on the line 6.6 of Figure a Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectionalview on the line 77 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view ofthev igure 6 isa'fragmentarysectional View lever forming'an element of the initially operablecircuit closer. y Corresponding and llke parts are'referred in theseveral views of the drawing by like reference characters. 1'

Inasmuch as the switch is designed chiefly for useinconnection withelectrically oper ated washing machines" it is illustrated applied to amachine of this type. However,- it is to be understood that the switchmay be applied to any mechanism adapted to be'electrically operated sothat upon depositing a coin of predetermined value in a chute or wayleading to the'switch the circuit will be closed and the mechanism willbe operated 1 to in the following description and designated during anumber o f predetermined revolu-l Referring to Figure'l of the drawingsthe numeral-1 designates an electrically operated washing machinei 2 theelectric motor, and 3 the shaft of the operating mechanismshow'n in Fig.l as connected with the motor by belt and pulley gearing. The'numeraldesignates generally the switchwhich controls the Cir-- cuit in'whichthemotor 2 is included, The" numeral 5 denotes connecting means betweenthe switchand the shaft 3 or other determinate part of the mechanismdriven by means of the motor 2. It is to beunderstood that "thecomponent parts of the switch are housed withina suitable case which maybe of an'y design and structure best adapted to'meet requirements. Thenumeral 6' denotes asuit- Y able frame upon {which the operating partscomprising the switch mechanism are mounted. A-shaft 7 'is mountedin'the frame 6 to receive both' a longitudinal and a rotary movement.A111 eXpansible helical spring '8 mountedupon an end portion ofthe'shaft 7 normally'maintains said shaft in a given position; withthetrain of gearing fully in mesh and also tends to maintain the gear ion the shaft 7 in mesh withthegear that drives it so as tofcompensatefor wear 'between said parts. Pressure upon the shaft 7 in opposition tothe spring and sufficient to overcome the spring effects endwisemovement of the sha ft and disengages intermeshingelements of the trainof gearing between the shaft and the driven mechanism so that inspectionof the parts may be had and repairs or readjustment of the electricalconnections may be made if necessary. A gear wheel 9 is fast to theshaft 7 and moves therewith. Disks 10 and 11 are fast to the shaft 7 andmove therewith, said disks being preferably of insulating material.The-disk 10has a peripheral portion cut away and a metal contact 12applied thereto. 7

A metal strip 13 is fitted to the remaining peripheral portion of thedisk 10 and is electrio-ally insulated from the contact element 12. Aspider 14 is disposed at one side of the disk 10 and is electricallyconnected with the contact strip 13. Contacts 15 and 16 are appliedto-the disk 11 at diametrically opposite points. .A lever 17 is mountedupon the contact .15 and is normally spaced from the contact 16.Thelever 17 is weighted at one end, as indicated at 18, to hold itsopposite end normally spaced from the contact 16. The lever 17 curvesupwardly opposite the contacts 15 and 16to form a guard which inconjunction with the disk 11 retains a coin thereon deposited in theslot of the coin way 19 extending into the housing of the switch. Lugs20project laterally from the lever 17 towards the disk 11 and are spacedapart a distance to engage a proper coin and support the same. A coin ofless diameter, or a slug of a length less than the distance betweenthelugs 20 will drop and fail to close the switch. A coin of predeterminedvalue, when deposited in the slot of the coin way 19 will engage the.lugs 20 and be supported upon the lever 17 and overcome the weight 18and depress the free end of the lever and initially close the circuitthrough the contact 16. A

brush'21 attached at one en'd to the frame 6 has its opposite or freeend in engagement with the disk 10 to coact with the contact elements 12and 13 for closing the circuit th'roughthe motor 2. A wire 22 connectsthe brush 21 with one pole of the motor 2.

A shaft 23 disposed at a right angle to the shaft 7 is provided with aworm 24 which is normally in mesh with the teeth of the gear wheel 9. Ashaft 25 parallel to the main shaft 7 is connected by worm gearing 26 tothejshaft 23 and in turn is connected by worm? gearing 27 with the shaft5 or like part to constitute connecting means between the switchmechanism and theoperating mechanism of the machine 1, or other part tobe driven. The described train of gearing causes the shaft? to berotated whenever the driven mechanism is operating and steps down thespeed of the operating mechanism of the driven machine, with the resultthat the speed of the shaft 7 is extremely slow when compared with thespeed of the part which drives itand'the machine may be operated anappreciable time for each complete revolution of the shaft 7.

The numerals 28 and 29 denote lead wires from the source of the supplyof electricity and may comprise the component parts of an electric cord30 which is adapted to be plugged into an outlet included in a system ofhouse wiring. One of the wires, as 28, makes direct connection with onepole of the motor 2 and the other wire 29 is connected with the spider14 which in turn is electrically connected directly with the contact 13and indirectly with the lever 17 by means of a wire 31 and the contact15. A wire 32 connects'the contact 16 with the contact element 12. v I

When the switch is properly installed it is included in the circuit insubstantially the manner indicated in Figure 5 of the drawings, and withthe curved portion of the lever 17 upwardly and the lugs 20 disposedhorizontally. The'circuit is open by reason of the lever 17 being spacedfrom the contact 16. A coin deposited in the slot of the coin way 19 isdirected to the lever 17 and issupported thereby by resting on the lugs20. The weight of the coin overcomes the weight 18 and rocks the lever17 to make contact with the element 16, therebyinitially and momentarilyclosing the circuit through the motor 2. The motor, being actuated,operates the driving mechanism of the machine 1 and by 2 reason of theconnection 5 between said driving mechanism and the switch the shaft 7has a rotary movement imparted thereto in a counter clockwise directionwhich results in the contact element 12 clearing the brush 21 and thecontact element 13 immediately making electric connection with saidbrush. As the disc 11 is also secured to shaft 7 and rotates therewiththe coin will be discharged from the lever 17 when it and the shaft 7reach a certain point in their rotation. The circuit closed by the coinis as follows: from the source of supply through the lead 28, motor 2,wire 22, brush 21, contact '12, wire 32, contact 16, lever 17, wire 31,spider 14, and lead 29 to source of supply. When the shaft 7 reaches thepoint in its rotation'to eifect discharge of the coin from the lever 17the circuit initially closed is broken by said lever 17 moving away fromthe contact 16 3 It is observed that the brush 21 clears the contactelement 13 by a quick movement thereby obviating any appreciable sparkwhen the circuit is-broken.

Having thus described; the invention, 1'

claim:

1. A circuit closing switch for motors controllable by the number ofrevolutions of the mechanism to be driven and including two rotatablecircuit closing mechanisms connected to be concurrently rotated, one ofsaid circuit closing mechanisms being initially operated to momentarilyclosethe circuit, and the other circuit closing mechanism subsequentlycoming into play to maintain the circuit after the initial circuitclosing mechanism has assumed normal open position.

2. A circuit closing switch controllable by the number of revolutions ofthe mechanism to be driven, the same including av rotary member,normally open circuit closing elements thereon, a second rotary memberconnected with the first rotatable member to rotate concurrentlytherewith, electrically insulated circuit closing elements on saidsecond member electrically connected with the respective circuit closingelements mounted upon the first mentioned rotary member, and a brushbearing against the second member and normally in contact with one ofthe elements thereon to effect closing of the circuit 'when the elementsmounted upon the first mentioned rotary member are momentarily held in.contact, the rotation of the second member causing the brush to quicklyshift from one element thereon to the other element thereon to maintainthe circuit in closed condition after the momentarily operated thecontacts on the second disk, the deposit of a coin causing the lever toclose an initial circuit through the brush and the normally engagedcontact and the rotation of the disks effecting discharge of the coinand breaking the initlalcircuit and causing the brush to immediatelyengage the other contact on the second disk and establish a workingcircuit.

5. A circuit closing switch including a shaft, disks secured thereontoturn concurrently, a lever and coacting contacts on one of the disks,the lever being constructed to support a coin and being thereby causedto engageboth contacts, electrically insulated contact elements on theother disk electrically connected withthe said lever and coactingcontact respectively, and a brush in coopera-' tive relation with thesaid contact elements on the second disk, an initial circuit beingformed when the lever engages both contacts" coacting therewith and saidcircuit being broken and the coin discharged byrotation of the disks anda working circuit being immediately closed through the brush and acontact on the second disk.

6. A circuit closing switch comprising a train of gearing including ashaft, spaced d sks mounted upon said shaft, a coin recelving andsupporting lever and coacting contacts mounted upon one of thedisks,-contact elements mounted upon'the other disk and electricallyconnected with the lever and 'a coacting contact respectively, and abrush in cooperative relation with the contact elements on the seconddisk whereby impact of a coinwill close an initial circuit and rotationof the shaft will discharge the coin and break the initial circuit andimmediately close and maintain a working circuit.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WALTER H. RUTHER, [L.S.]

circuit closing elements have assumed noring the portion opposite thespace between the contacts curved upwardly into arch form to cooperatewith the disc in. supporting a coin, the deposit of a coin causing thelever to engage the normally free contact and close an initial circuitand rotation of the disc efi'ecting the discharge of the coin andbreaking said circuit. I

I 4. A circuit closing switch including a rotating disk, a lever thereonconstructed to support a coin, contacts on the disk to cooperate withthe lever, a second rotating disk connected to the first disk to rotatetherewith, electrically insulated contacts on the second disk,electrically connected with the respective lever and coacting contact,and a brush normally in engagement with one of

